West Chester sets goals for its new school boundaries

WEST GOSHEN — The West Chester Area School District has approved the guidelines that will be used to draw up new school boundaries.

The school board voted unanimously Monday night to approve the parameters as it moves forward with redistricting in a process that’s expected to affect only a small percentage of the student population — and most of those at the lower grades.

The board also agreed to continue using consulting firm Sundance Associates to create redistricting scenarios at a rate of $10,800. The work by Sundance will be used as the basis for redistricting and be reviewed by the redistricting committee and school board in the fall.

The guidelines approved for redistricting were divided into two categories, must-have parameters and parameters to consider.

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The “must have” parameters include:

• Schedule buildings at 85-90% of capacity.

• Schedule buildings with free and reduced lunch rates between 10-20%. The district average is 15%.

• Maintain middle school to high school feeder patterns.

• Include transition plans for redistricting changes.

• Allow seniors to stay in current high school.

Meanwhile, parameters to consider are:

• Reduce number of elementary schools serving the borough.

• Reduce or eliminate split elementary schools.

• Keep elementary students in same middle school to high school feeder patterns.

• Move students closer to a neighborhood school.

Superintendent James Scanlon said at the meeting Monday the district held three community meetings — with around 200 total attendees — to discuss the parameters with residents.

He said that during those meetings, he had heard from parents who often had split views on certain aspects, like having their children attend schools closer to home, but said that many agreed with the “must have parameters.”

According to communications director Rob Partridge, the district has heard many concerns parents have about the future redistricting.

“We have heard from dozens of families who moved here over the past few years and purchased a home in a specific location based on the schools their children would attend. But the real strength of our district is revealed by the fact that the new elementary school to which their child might be moved has students enrolled whose parents are equally insistent that their kids not be redistricted either,” said Partridge. “All 10 of our elementary schools are outstanding as are the secondary schools making up our three feeder patterns.”

The district has said that only around 10 percent of students will be affected by the redistricting, with the majority being moved attending elementary schools.

The last redistricting, which was designed from 2004-2005 and took place as a result of the 2006 opening of the Bayard Rustin High School, affected nearly every family in the school district because a new feeder pattern was created at that time.

The district commissioned a demographic study earlier this year, which cost $11,400, from Sundance Associates to aid in the redistricting process. The study showed that several of the elementary schools — Starkweather, Hillsdale, Penn Wood and Fern Hill — were overcrowded, while there was space at others like East Bradford and East Goshen.

Scanlon said the district will continue to move forward with the redistricting plans over the summer. According to the district’s timeline, administration will develop scenarios for redistricting, with the help of Sundance, and a steering committee will be formed to study the options in July and August.

Scanlon said that the goal is to have the board vote on the redistricting plan in December 2014, with the plan to be implemented in the 2015-2016 school year.

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About the Author

Kendal Gapinski is the Daily Local News reporter covering events in the Whiteland and Uwchlan areas. She is a 2013 graduate from American University. Reach the author at kgapinski@dailylocal.com
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